Twig Taffy Recipes

GRANDMA'S TAFFY

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, stir together the sugar and cornstarch. Add the butter, salt, corn syrup and water; mix well. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to mix in butter. Heat to 275 degrees F (134 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped from a spoon forms hard but pliable threads.
• Remove from heat, and stir in the vanilla, flavored extract and food coloring. Pour into a greased 8x8 inch baking dish. When cooled enough to handle, remove candy from the pan, and pull until it loses its shine and becomes stiff. Pull into ropes, and use scissors to cut into 1 inch pieces. Wrap each piece in waxed paper.

VINEGAR TAFFY

Steps:

• Butter a baking dish and set aside.
• In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, vinegar, butter, cream of tartar, and salt. Heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is melted. Do not stir once mixture comes to a boil.
• Cook candy until mixture reaches 250 to 265 degrees F (121 to 129 degrees C) on a candy thermometer, or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a rigid ball. Remove from heat and pour into prepared dish.
• Pull taffy by stretching out into a rope with buttered hands, folding the candy over and repeating, until taffy is white and porous and becomes too stiff to pull. Cut into 1-inch pieces with buttered kitchen shears. Wrap taffy pieces in waxed paper and store in an airtight container.

OLD FASHIONED MOLASSES TAFFY

Steps:

• Lightly grease a baking sheet. Bring the sugar, molasses, water, and vinegar to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir until the sugar has reached the hard ball stage, 250 to 265 degrees F (121 to 129 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a rigid ball.
• Remove from the heat, and stir in the butter and baking soda. Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, and allow to cool until cool enough to handle, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Once cool enough to handle, fold the taffy in half, then pull to double its original length. Continue folding and pulling until the taffy has turned golden brown, and is too stiff to pull anymore. Cut the taffy into bite sized pieces, and wrap in waxed paper. Store in an airtight container.

PULLED MOLASSES TAFFY

Steps:

• Butter a 15x10x1-in. pan with 3 teaspoons butter; set aside. In a heavy saucepan, combine the water, brown sugar, vinegar and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir until a candy thermometer reads 245° (firm-ball stage), stirring occasionally. Add molasses and remaining butter. Cook, uncovered until a candy thermometer reads 260° (hard-ball stage), stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat; pour into prepared pan. Cool for 5 minutes or until cool enough to handle., With buttered fingers, quickly pull half of the candy until firm but pliable. Pull and shape into a 1/2-in. rope. Cut into 1-1/4-in. pieces. Repeat with remaining taffy. Wrap pieces individually in foil or waxed paper; twist ends. Store in airtight containers in the refrigerator. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.

TWIG TAFFY

Steps:

• Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray; set aside. In a medium nonstick saucepan, combine sugar, 1 cup water, corn syrup, cornstarch, glycerin, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon to dissolve sugar. Without stirring, cook until mixture registers 275 degrees (soft-crack stage) on a candy thermometer, about 8 minutes. Remove pan from heat; carefully stir in butter and extracts.
• Pour hot mixture onto prepared baking sheet. Allow edges to cool and set slightly; using a metal spatula coated with cooking spray, fold edges toward the middle (this will help cool taffy). When taffy is cool enough to handle but still quite warm, stretch and pull with lightly buttered fingers, folding the taffy over onto itself before pulling again until just starting to firm up, about 20 minutes.
• Before taffy cools and hardens too much, pull off ropelike pieces, and using kitchen scissors, make snips along sides. Gently stretch and pull snipped taffy on either end, forming thorny twigs. Snip into 7-inch lengths. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet; let cool.